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Health Dept. seeks input on PFC monitoring

The Minn. Department of Health is seeking public feedback on a plan to measure the levels of perflurochemicals in 200 east metro residents.

PFCs have contaminated groundwater in more than a half-dozen communities. The chemicals leaked from landfills where the 3M Company legally disposed of the stain and water-resistant compounds years ago.

The Health Department will hold three public meetings at the end of this month to explain the testing project's selection process and community boundaries.

Project Director Jean Johnson says her staff wants to collect blood samples from people who are most likely to have past exposures to PFCs.

"We selected the residents of the City of Oakdale because of contamination that was in the Oakdale municipal water supply. And then the other community are people on private wells that also were found to be contaminated," says Johnson.

Private well residents with previous PFC exposures are located in Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove.

Johnson says the Health Department hopes to begin the voluntary testing program this summer. The agency will report its findings to the Legislature next year.